Playing with Kara
by stardust2002
Summary: What happens when you're so bored you don't know what to do?
1. Chapter 1

Playing with Kara

Summary: What happens when you're so bored you don't know what to do?

Lee/Kara pairing - friendship, hints at more

ZZZZZZZZ

"I'm bored." Kara Thrace leaned over to whisper in Lee's ear.

"Shhh," was his reply.

They were sitting in a presidential briefing which was supposed to be about redistributing the fleet's resources, but seemed to be more about the president defending her decisions to avoid a coup by the strong group of Tom Zarek supporters.

"But I'm really bored!" she protested.

"Shhh, you'll get us into trouble!" Lee whispered back.

Fine, be that way. She grabbed a pen and paper from her clipboard (that she was supposed to be taking notes on) and hastily scribbled him a message.

You're no fun Lee.

She pushed the page across the armrest. He read it and glared at her.

Well it's true, you're not.

Lee grabbed the paper and pen and scrawled a message back.

I am so. Just not in long boring meetings.

Sure you are. You're just a tightass with no sense of humour.

She knew she was pushing him, but hey, it was one of her talents. Finding people's buttons and pushing them. And she was especially good with Lee.

He snatched the paper and pen and wrote back;

Wanna bet?

knowing she couldn't resist a dare. He knew she was pushing his buttons and that he was responding the way she had hoped he would. But he knew Kara inside out and backwards as well. And so he pushed back.

Name it.

He could almost hear her belligerent voice utter the words as she smiled her challenging smile. (Not to be confused with all her other myriad smiles, each with a purpose of it's own.)

Remember 'the question game' from the old show 'Who's Line Is It Anyway?'

Yeah, and ...?

Play it with me for the rest of the day.

You can't be serious!

Up till this point, he'd been trying to make it look like he was paying attention to the speech and taking notes. Now, he turned to look at her. She had exactly the look he'd predicted - the challenging smile that always said ' you can't beat me.'

Oh, but I am. Are you in?

What are the stakes?

Our Viper maintenance shifts. You do it - successfully of course - and I'll take your shifts for a week. You do it and screw up - you get my shifts for a week.

He turned to look at her again, his mouth a small 'o' of surprise. She was smiling sweetly (her 'come on, you know you want to' smile.) Frak! He felt his insides melt. He could never resist her when she turned on the charm. What man could?

You're on. How long?

Till bedtime.

That's 10 hours!

Don't think you can do it? You can still back out ...

There she was, pushing his buttons again. She knew his male pride wouldn't allow him to just forfeit.

Never

he wrote firmly.

Shake on it?

And he held out his hand to her. She smiled (gods! that was her radiantly happy smile - the one that caused a sparkle in her eye.) His knees went weak and he was glad the briefing wasn't over yet so he didn't have to stand and show how weak he was.

She was just a woman. A small woman at that. One of his pilots. One of his friends. But somehow she had the ability to turn him into a quivering mass of jelly with just a smile.

Score one for Starbuck - little did she know it, but she'd won without even playing the game.

ZZZZZZZZ

"Captain Apollo, may I see you for a moment?" President Roslin asked, as the briefing room began to empty out.

"Yes?" he answered, and received an elbow in the ribs.

"Only questions, remember?" Kara hissed in his ear.

"It WAS a question, wasn't it?" he retorted back.

"Do you want me to wait outside for you?"

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Don't make me wait long okay?" She jabbed him in the ribs one more time as she pushed past him out the door. This was going to be fun!

Lee sighed with relief as the President shut the door for privacy. Now he had a few moments of normalcy. It was definitely going to be an interesting day!

ZZZZZZZZ

"So, how'd it go?" Kara was leaning on the wall beside the briefing room door, looking like she'd been painted there. Lee had been half an hour, and she'd very nearly decided to ditch him. But then who knew when she'd find him again, and she didn't want to let him off that easy.

"How do you think?" He looked weary. This presidential advisor job was wearing him down. Perhaps if it had been his only job, but on top of the CAG's job, it was darn near impossible to ever have time for anything but work.

"Do you have work to do or do we fly now?"

"What do you think?" The tone of his voice was answer enough.

"Wouldn't you prefer to be flying with me?"

The look of longing in her eyes was almost too much for him to bear. Everyone knew she was an ace pilot, and a daredevil too, but no one else knew the sheer joy she experienced in the cockpit like he did. He'd always enjoyed flying too but it had taken on an adventurous and highly sensual quality since he'd begun to fly with her. In some ways Lee felt he was closer to her than anyone else - when they were flying - but the rest of the time she kept him at arm's length, preferring to be physically closer to other men. Sometimes it made him feel jealous, but he knew no one had ever been one with her in the sky the way he had.

"Can it wait till I've finished?"

"How long will you be?" Her eyes sparkled again and it turned him to jello once more. She couldn't wait to be out there with him!

"Maybe an hour or so?"

"Shall I have the Vipers ready then?"

He nodded, unable to think of a question.

"Did you know that's cheating?" She poked a finger in his face.

"Forgive me?"

"Do I have to?"

"Do you want to keep playing?"

She nodded.

"So how the hell do you say yes in the form of a question?" Lee asked, frustrated.

"Should we allow nodding?" She was willing to concede this small point if it meant the game would continue. This was the most fun she'd had in weeks!

Lee nodded. "We have to have some way to say ' yes sir' in case we run into my father or Tigh don't we?"

"Can we just nod or is that disrespectful?"

"How the hell should I know?" Lee shrugged.

"You're the CAG aren't you?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Aren't you supposed to know everything?"

"Who led you to believe that?"

"Isn't it part of the job description?" Now she was really being cheeky.

"Is that why YOU didn't take it?" Lee had a smug look on his face. Score one for him.

She steamed for a moment. "Would anyone really want ME as the CAG?"

Lee just looked at her and smiled. "Is there any doubt about that?"

She stopped and put her hands on her hips, an outraged expression on her face. "Why Lee Adama! Aren't you just the most ...?" she began, spluttering to find the right words.

Just then Tigh turned into their corridor, read their body language and shook his head muttering, "always fighting."

Lee and Kara nodded briskly, neither knowing whether or not he would take that as agreement to his statement or a silent salute. They really didn't care either.

"So, Kara, what were you going to say about me?" Lee asked sweetly.

"Are you sure you really want to know?"

"How bad could it be?"

"You really have no idea, do you?"

"Do you want to fly or not?" Lee demanded.

"Do you need to ask?"

"Then you're going to have to let me get my work done aren't you?"

She saw reason in that and nodded. "Can I kill you if you're longer than an hour?"

"Will it make you happy?"

She burst out laughing. He was doing well. Much better than she'd ever expected. Seems there were some hidden depths to Lee Adama that she had yet to probe. And probe she would! "Don't keep me waiting, okay?" And with that last question, she turned and headed away from his office, allowing him to get to work.

Lee smiled at her retreating back. He had no intention of keeping her waiting - he knew how badly she would get him for that!

This was turning out to be fun, he thought as he headed for his office to get his work out of the way so he could play. With Kara. That was always fun.

ZZZZZZZZ

Exactly an hour later, Lee left his office, smiling. He was really looking forward to this. He would put it on his daily report as a recon mission, but in reality it was just him and Kara blowing off some steam and having fun.

"Aw, I don't get to kill you now do I?" a mocking voice said, as he rounded the corner and nearly ran Kara into the ground.

"Are you disappointed?"

The challenging smile reappeared on her face. "Should I wipe you up on the stars instead?"

"Don't you wish you could?" he challenged back.

Chief Tyrol suddenly appeared in front of them, interrupting their bantering.

"Captain, I regret to report that one of my people made an error while fixing Raptor 2. The engine is blown and it's unusable for a few days." He looked seriously chagrined.

"So what do you want me to do about it?" Lee asked him.

"What do you mean sir? Don't you want to know who it was?"

"Do I need to know?"

"I suppose not sir," Tyrol said, beginning to look confused. "But shouldn't you punish the guilty party?"

"Can't you take care of that yourself?"

"I guess so sir." Now Tyrol was looking at Lee with open disbelief. It was obvious he thought Lee was short a few marbles. It was much the same sort of look most people gave Baltar, Kara noticed, and the revelation sent her into a fit of giggles.

"Don't you have to get back to work?" Lee asked helplessly. He couldn't wait to get this conversation over with! Talking in circles with Kara was one thing, but he didn't need the rest of the ship thinking he'd gone nuts.

"I'm off duty. I was headed to my bunk actually."

"Well, why don't you get moving then?"

Kara nearly choked as her giggle fit intensified. Boy, this was incredibly fun! And well worth a week of maintenance if she got to watch Lee in compromising situations like this!

"Yes sir." Tyrol threw him one more wary look, then headed past them both, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You think this is funny don't you?" Lee demanded, once he was out of earshot.

"Don't you?" She barely managed to get the words out before the giggles overcame her again.

Lee smiled. He had to admit that it probably did look pretty funny from where she stood.

ZZZZZZZZ

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

Playing with Kara - chapter 2

"Shall we go?" Lee asked, after Kara's giggle fit seemed to have subsided. She nodded and took his arm in hers, as though her giggles had left her too weak to walk on her own.

They headed down one corridor and another, people giving them strange looks as they walked arm in arm. Kara couldn't seem to keep a straight face, and hard as she tried, a big grin spread across it every ten seconds or so.

Just before they reached the hangar bay where the Vipers were prepped and ready, Hotdog intercepted them.

"Apollo, sir, I've got a problem with my CAP rotation tonight." Starbuck was in charge of CAP scheduling so Lee decided to let her take it.

"Can you handle this one?" Lee said, turning to face her.

"Do I have a choice?"

"There's always a choice, isn't there?"

"What are the consequences if I don't?" Kara figured from the expression on Hotdog's face that he was lost. Decent pilot, she thought, but definitely one sandwich short of a picnic.

"So what's the problem Hotdog?" she asked.

"I sprained my wrist."

"Your stick hand?"

"Yes sir."

"How'd you do it?"

"I was sparring with Helo, you know, a little practice at hand-to-hand combat, but we got a little carried away."

"How long are you out for?" she asked warily.

"Four days."

"Four days! Did you know that's going to mean double shifts for all of us?" Now she was getting angry.

"I'm sorry Starbuck. It won't happen again, I swear."

"Could you go tell Helo he's on in your spot tonight?"

"Will do. I'm sure he'll be fine with that."

"Well, hurry up then, we don't have all night do we?"

"No sir. Thank you sir. Anything else I can do to help out, just let me know." Hotdog nodded and headed past them to find Helo.

"You were pretty easy on him, weren't you?" Lee asked a few minutes later as they stood on the flight deck, pulling on their suits.

"Why be hard? What good would it do to his morale?"

He nodded. She did have a point. Berating someone for an accident wasn't the smartest thing to do. But he was surprised at how well she'd kept her temper in check. Seems she'd learned a few things here on Galactica - things that made her a better leader.

He gave her an appreciative glance, smiling as he thought of the impetuous, hot-tempered girl she'd been years ago when they'd known each other at the academy.

"So, you like what you see?" She said flirtatiously, posing in a sensuous way for him. He didn't know if she'd interpreted his glance the wrong way or was deliberately pretending that she had in order to bait him. She had the provocative smile on her face (the one that toyed with men's emotions - the 'you know you want me, come and get me' smile) and her eyes shone with laughter. Either way, the only way to handle her was to play the game her way.

"Do you need to ask?" he replied, walking towards her, a look of intense desire on his face. Two could play at this game! He saw her smile falter for a moment as she realized she'd gone too far. Perhaps this time he really meant to have her! She backed up a step as he stood close enough to touch her.

"Do I scare you?" he asked in a low, throaty voice.

"Should I be afraid?" She matched his tone and a sultry look crossed her face.

"I don't know, should you?" He lowered his voice even more and moved a step closer. The tension between them was almost palpable. For once, Kara was speechless.

"First fighting, now flirting. I don't believe you two."

Their heads both swung round to find Colonel Tigh standing a few feet away. They'd both been so lost in the moment, they hadn't noticed him walk in.

"Something ... wrong sir?" Kara asked in a small voice.

"Apollo, the President sent a message that she needs you to meet with her now."

"But why ... we just had a meeting ... " Lee began, but trailed off, unable to find a way to make his statement into a question.

"Don't ask me, I'm not her liaison," Tigh said sarcastically. "Just passing along the message."

"I guess we fly later then, huh?" Kara said, feeling disappointment lodge in the pit of her stomach. She'd really been looking forward to this.

"Apollo, Starbuck," Tigh said, nodding as he took his leave. Hanging around them too long was apt to make ANYONE crazy!

"Will you be here when I get back?" Lee asked quietly.

"Where am I going to go?" Kara spread her arms and shrugged.

"How should I know?"

"If I promise to stay here, will you hurry back?"

"You really want us to fly today don't you?"

"It's been a long time since it's just been the two of us hasn't it?" she said longingly. He nodded. She was right. And he'd been so looking forward to this too.

"Will you promise to wait for me?" Lee asked.

Kara nodded. He'd better hurry - she was getting awfully tired of waiting to spend time alone with Lee Adama.

As Lee climbed into his Viper and began the launch sequence, Kara leaned against hers and watched him. There was no doubt, the cockpit of a Viper was definitely where he belonged.

ZZZZZZZZ

Kara checked the clock again - for about the hundredth time in two hours. She'd hung around the flight bay, ostensibly helping with ship maintenance, but really just nervously walking around wasting time. Lee was taking forever! If only she had something to do, but unfortunately she had no shifts today.

Maybe she'd go to his office and see if there was anything to do there. Some paperwork he'd left undone or something. She whacked herself upside the head, hopefully knocking some sense into her. What was she thinking? Voluntarily doing paperwork? And someone else's no less? Was she crazy? But as she headed to his office, she knew she wasn't crazy. Just crazy about Lee. She'd never been able to see straight when it came to him. So she used her defense mechanism - she flirted with him, played games with him, just like all the other guys, so she didn't have to deal with the fact that he meant more to her.

As she sat in his chair, picked up his pen and clipboard, she wondered if he'd seen through her. He'd certainly called her bluff earlier and either he really did want her, or he was a damned good actor. Either way, it seemed there were more hidden depths to Lee Adama than she had ever imagined. Good. At least she'd never tire of him.

ZZZZZZZZ

"Starbuck to the hangar bay," came across the loudspeakers, interrupting her daydreams. She sprang up and looked at the clock, realizing she'd been in Lee's office for over an hour.

She sprinted down the corridors, arriving at the hangar bay to find Lee lounging against his Viper, holding his helmet under one arm.

"Weren't you going to wait here for me?" he asked, giving her the Adama eyebrow.

"How was I supposed to know you were going to take forever?" she replied flushing. She pulled on her flightsuit, but not before Lee caught the pink glow in her cheeks. Good. Score one more for him!

"Shall we go milady?"

"Is that what you really want?" she asked, turning on the charm.

"Can't you read my mind?"

"You have something there you want me to know?"

"Can I keep you in suspense till after we come back?"

Kara nodded and backed off, heading back towards her Viper. Things were really heating up here! Maybe her thoughts earlier were right - maybe there was something more here ...

But all those thoughts disappeared as they launched and flew together, their souls as one.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Playing with Kara - chapter 3

They had previously agreed to suspend their question game during their flight as the comm channel was always monitored, but still Kara tried to use questions wherever possible. Lee smiled every time and in his head thought of the perfect responses, but he had no desire to let the rest of the crew in on his private feelings about Kara, and so kept them firmly pushed to the back of his mind.

"You ready to head back Starbuck?" he said after an hour and a half of exhilarating time out in space. Their game today had reflected their earlier sexual tension. They'd played thrust and parry multiple times and had taken turns one flying so close on top of the other that their ships seemed to be joined as one. Had anyone else seen their maneouvres they'd have been terrified of a crash, but Lee and Kara were confident in themselves and each other to the point where they rarely had to talk over the comm at all. It was all done instinctively.

"Do we HAVE to?" She sounded like a little kid pleading for just a few more minutes.

"Are you getting whiny on me Lieutenant?" Lee smiled to himself, knowing that would rile her.

"You want me to whine?"

"How much do I have to pay to make sure you don't?"

Starbuck's laughter rang through the comm, and Colonel Tigh, on the bridge, threw his friend a querying look. Adama just shrugged. They may be his children (he'd always considered Kara a daughter ever since Zak's death) but sometimes he really had no clue.

"We need to head back now, okay?" Lee said, trying to keep a hold over himself. Somehow their little games out here had brought a flush to his face and a definite feeling of desire for her. How could he ever possibly think of another woman when Kara was all he really wanted? She teased him, challenged him, complemented him in every way. He'd always known there was a connection between them - something special - but he'd never realized till now that she was everything he desired in a woman; intelligent, brave, strong, loyal, fun, beautiful - the list went on.

Time to stop thinking about that now, he thought, as he set the Viper down smooth as silk. He watched as Kara did the same. He was already waiting when she climbed out of her cockpit, face flushed and eyes sparkly. Hmmm... so it had done the same for her. Interesting.

"So, worth the wait?" he asked lazily.

"Aren't you always?" she answered sweetly, eyes half closed and a sultry smile on her face.

"How would you know that?" Their earlier tension was back and Lee could feel the flush rise to his cheeks again.

"You wanna know my secrets now?"

"Are you willing to share them?"

"With you?"

"Who else?"

"Are you good at keeping secrets?"

"Aren't I good at everything?"

Kara laughed and began to strip off her flight suit, revealing only her double tanks underneath. Lee's eyes were drawn downwards and he couldn't help himself but stare as she undressed right there in front of him.

"So, do I get to watch you now?" He hadn't realized she was done and stood watching him watching her.

He moved closer and spoke into her ear. "Do you want to?"

Kara could feel the incredible amount of sexual energy he was giving off and it unnerved her. This was Lee! He wasn't interested, he just liked frakking with her - the way she did with him.

"How'd you know that's my secret fantasy?"

"Shall I make it come true then?" He began to unzip his flightsuit. Gods! He had nothing but his tanks on under there too, and it wouldn't have mattered if Galactica had exploded into millions of pieces, she couldn't take her eyes off his well-muscled arms and chest. Apollo indeed! The god himself could easily have been named after Lee - he was so perfect!

"Like what you see?" he said when he was done, echoing their earlier conversation.

"Do you need to ask?" she whispered, leaning so close that she could have kissed him if she'd only moved a few more inches.

The moment seemed to stop as neither were aware of the movement of the crew doing their post-flight checks on the Vipers.

"Apollo, Starbuck, report to the commander's office now," came over the loudspeaker.

Kara sighed. "Duty calls again, eh?"

"Doesn't it always?" Lee sighed too. The moment had been good. Very good. But playtime seemed to be over.

ZZZZZZZZ

"So what do you suppose we did now?" Kara asked, as they walked towards Adama's office.

"How should I know?"

"Haven't we already been over this? Aren't you supposed to know everything?"

"Do I have to keep telling you that I don't?"

"Why don't you show me instead?"

Lee stopped dead and pinned her to the wall. "Show you what I don't know, or show you what I DO?"

"What DO you know Captain?" she asked, putting a smile on her face (that provocative smile again! Gods! Calm down Lee!)

"This really isn't the right place now is it?"

"Where is 'the right place'?"

"Do you want me to show you later?"

"Are you serious?" she asked, raising one eyebrow.

A small pause. "Do you want me to be?"

Kara flushed from the roots of her hair all the way down to the tip of her toes.

Lee leant over and whispered in her ear. "I guess I have my answer, don't I?"

Now all the hair on her body stood on end and she shivered. "Lee, please..." she began, but he put a finger on her lips to shhh her.

"Questions only, remember?"

"Good day Captain Adama, Lieutenant Thrace." Frak. Another stupid interruption. Just when things were getting really interesting!

Lee let Kara go (not that she'd been struggling!) and they turned to face Dr. Baltar.

"Doctor," Lee said shortly, a look of distaste on his face. Kara merely nodded.

"And how are we doing this lovely afternoon?" Baltar asked cheerfully.

"How do you think?" Lee and Kara said in unison. They looked at each other and Kara burst out laughing. Uh oh, Lee thought, another giggle fit!

"Well, I ... uh ... well I mean," Baltar stammered, looking rather flustered.

"What exactly DO you mean?" Lee questioned him, looking terribly serious, in contrast to Kara's occasional giggle.

"Um, nothing really ... I was just asking a polite question ..."

"Since when did you start being polite?" Kara asked boldly, a mocking smile on her face. Lee saw it and smiled to himself. Look out doc, he thought, she don't pull any punches when she's in this kind of mood! Heck, he should know - he was usually the one on the receiving end of it!

"I beg your pardon?" Baltar said stiffly, as if he couldn't believe she could be so rude.

"How tough a question was it?"

"I ... I ... I'm speechless. Your rudeness is overwhelming!"

"Do I look like I care?"

"Frankly, no."

"Is there something you wanted Doctor?" Lee asked.

"No, I was just ... "

"Then would you mind leaving?"

Baltar's eyes nearly popped out of his their sockets. Starbuck's rudeness was one thing - she was nearly legendary on this ship, but Apollo too? What the frak was going on?

"You didn't hear the man?" Kara prodded, as Baltar stood stock still, as if listening to some inner voice.

"I... I can't believe this! I'm going to have to report this to the Commander. Your rudeness is unacceptable."

Kara turned to face Lee. "Do you care?"

"No, you?"

"Should I?" She turned back to the doctor whose face was nearly apoplectic by now. "We're headed to the Commander's office now. Care to join us?" She took Lee's arm and smiled a fake sweet smile.

"I ... you ... when I ... you're both so ..." And he huffed suddenly and took off down the corridor, trying to put as much space between himself and that pair of lunatics as possible.

Kara was nearly in tears she was laughing so hard.

"Did you really have to be so rude?" Lee asked, smiling.

"Me?"

"You're not suggesting I was rude are you?"

"Aren't I?"

"Shouldn't we get moving?"

"Moving?"

"My father's office, remember?"

"How could I forget?"

"You're blonde aren't you?" She elbowed him in the ribs. "Ouch!"

"Was that a question?" she asked sweetly.

"How can 'ouch' be a question?"

"You can make anything into a question if you try, can't you?"

"How?"

"Why are you asking me?"

"Who else is there to ask?" The corridor was deserted. "Do we need to continue with the questions in front of my father?"

"Why are you asking?"

"Don't people ask questions because they want to know the answers?"

"Don't you know already?"

"That would be a 'yes' wouldn't it?"

"Do you wanna be doing my maintenance shifts?" She cocked an eyebrow at him.

"What do you think?"

"We're here, let me do the talking, okay?" Lee pleaded as he knocked on the office door.

"Come in."

"You wanted to see us?"

"You took your time." Up with the Adama eyebrows.

"I'd have been happier without that little chat with Baltar - how 'bout you Lee?" Kara nudged him. He flushed, but nodded.

"Is ... something wrong?" Lee asked, hoping to get to the point soon. He had a feeling this was going to be highly embarrassing.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Playing with Kara - chapter 4

This is it folks, the last chapter! Thanks for reading - I really enjoyed writing this story and I hope you enjoyed reading it just as much. Thanks for all the reviews. :)

"Well, I do have a few things I need to talk to you about." And he launched into a long speech about crew rotations. Fortunately it didn't require any conversation on Lee and Kara's part - just a few nods.

"And Starbuck, we need to train some reserve pilots. I know we have a full squadron now, but we don't know when the next attack will be, and I want to be prepared." He passed her a list of possible trainees.

"Should I start on that right away sir?"

"No, no, tomorrow will do just fine if you have time."

"Do I have time tomorrow Lee?" She smiled at him, (crap, that challenging smile again!).

"How should I know?"

"You write up the crew rotations don't you?"

He turned to face her and smiled. "You wanna start?" Her body suddenly felt like it was on fire. The sexual tension between them was becoming unbearable!

"You'd let me?"

"You think you're capable?" He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Is that a challenge Lee?" She moved closer to him and her voice took on a much throatier tone.

"You up for it?" He stepped closer too, and now they were barely a few inches apart.

"Aren't I always?" Her voice was practically a whisper, and the smile had gone from challenging to provocative. (gods save me! Lee thought)

"See, and this is the third thing I needed to talk to you about." Adama suddenly cut in.

"What?" They both swung around to face their boss. Both faces were flushed and their breathing was shallow. Adama felt certain that if he hadn't interrupted, there would have been some serious physical exploration going on right there in his office.

It wasn't that he didn't know of the obvious attraction between them - who could miss that? But he'd always held firm to the 'no fraternizing with other crew members' rule. It made for a much tighter run ship, he'd found. But the rules had changed - there WAS no one to go home to - no time to leave the ship for recreation - nowhere to go to meet other people. How could he expect people living and working in close proximity not to give in to their feelings when there WERE no other options? Each other was all they had. He figured he was going to have to change the rules to allow it - so long as it didn't affect people's working relationships.

"You. Your behaviour. You two have been acting strange all day, and I've heard several reports from people saying you've lost your minds!"

Kara burst out laughing.

"It's not funny!" Lee said sternly.

"Yes it is!" she argued, still laughing. Then suddenly she stopped and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"What?" Lee asked, concerned.

"We screwed up!"

"We did?"

"What do you mean 'screwed up'?" Adama asked, now totally confused.

"We forgot to talk in questions."

"Aren't I still asking questions?" Lee said, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"Questions?"

"We were supposed to talk in only questions all day today," Kara explained to a rather lost Commander.

"So who's still screwing up?" Lee asked, trying to hide a smile. He was winning!

"Who's bright idea was this?" Adama turned to stare at Kara. "Starbuck?" he guessed.

"Yes sir," she said, colouring. "I'm sorry sir, I just wanted to have a little fun."

"And who's the greater fool? The fool who leads or the fool who follows him?" Adama quoted, a hint of a smile on his face.

"That would be me sir," Lee admitted. "I apologize. I should have known better."

"No, no, you two are on to something." Their eyes widened in surprise. "Life is tough these days and we're all forced to be more serious than we should. I think it's a good thing if we can let our hair down, so to speak, a little bit and have some fun." The usual gruff tone entered his voice again. "Provided it happens at an appropriate time."

"Yes sir," they chorused, smiling.

"Now scat. I believe you both have some down time to enjoy, so go enjoy it."

"Yes sir," they chorused again, turning to leave the Commander's office.

"So are we finished yet?" Lee asked as they walked out.

"Finished? Are you crazy?"

"What do you think?"

Adama smiled as their voices gradually disappeared down the corridor.

"Bill?"

"You need something Saul?"

"Was that Apollo and Starbuck?"

"What do you think?"

"Did you figure out what the heck is going on with them today?"

"Something's going on?" Adama smiled again at his friend's perplexed face. This game could definitely get addictive!

THE END


End file.
